Monday, April 20, 2009

Dr. Sam can you please HELP me?

I want to know if there is a tooth on the back that is missing and you have a maryland bridge with the wings that attaches to the healthy teeth in between so that it can cover that empty space which is a fake tooth but without crowns, can teeth shift or not???

Dr. Sam can you please HELP me?If I am understanding your situation, you have a Maryland bridge that is bonded in between two healthy, natural teeth. If this is so, certainly ONE of them should not be shifting, because they are bonded together. If the bond is broken on one tooth or if the metal of the bridge itself is broken, one tooth might possibly shift. So if you have seen one tooth shifting, you need to get your Maryland bridge checked out.

And... It IS possible for BOTH teeth to shift together as a unit. The degree of movement might be more obvious on one tooth than the other. This needs to be checked out also as something is wrong with your bite or there is some other problem.

If you are not noticing any shifting but are just asking because you are worried that this might happen, relax. As long as the bridge does not break and remains bonded in place, your teeth will generally not be able to shift.Reply:The reason for getting a bridge or implant, is so the healthy teeth will not shift into the empty space.Reply:A maryland bridge would probably break loose from at least one abutment tooth if either one shifted. It%26#039;s not a very common phenomenon, but Maryland bridges are not common in my area to begin with. If you haven%26#039;t gotten the Maryland bridge yet, have you considered getting an implant? Unlike bridges, implants are impervious to re-decay, spare the two teeth on either side, and allow for normal flossing.